Clew Less. Memoires By a Novice Sailing Greece & Croatia

By Susan O'Connor

Have you ever thought about a sailing holiday but decided it was in the "too-hard basket" due to your lack of sailing skills?

Think again.  If I could do it in my late 50s as a novice sailor, you can do it too.     

 

For seven years, my partner Garth and I owned and operated a boutique lodge.  After selling the business, Garth, an avid sailor, suggested we charter a boat and sail around Greece and Croatia. Being the optimist that I am, I thought, why not? How hard could it be?

 

My biggest concern was safety at sea, but I was confident that Garth's sailing knowledge and ability would keep us safe from harm.

 

Our holiday was not all smooth sailing. We encountered stressful situations, mostly weather-related, where the circumstances were not optimal. However, that was all part and parcel of the journey.

 

Would I do it again? Absolutely! The hardest part would be choosing our next destination, as there are many countries we have yet to explore.

 

I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan O'Connor
• Release date: May 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224905454

Susan O'Connor

Susan was born in New Zealand, one of five children.  Her household was always bustling with activity as they lived in a street full of families with children of the same ages. At twenty-one Susan embarked on a solo journey across Canada.  She began and ended her travels in Vancouver, which she loved so much, that she made it her home for the next eighteen years. During this period Susan discovered her passion for hospitality and started working in a 5-star hotel.  Within two years, she went from server to Sales Manager. In 1999, Susan moved back to New Zealand with her two children and secured another role in hotel sales. Susan then met Garth, a single dad with two children.  The two families blended and became known as "The Brady Bunch". Susan had always dreamt of owning a small lodge, and in 2007, she finally achieved her dream., Garth supported her dream and became an integral part of the business.  

Book preview

Introduction

There is a saying Life begins at 40.

To say I had experienced some interesting and challenging years before turning 40 would be an understatement; however, my life at age 40 took on a different direction when I met my partner Garth, who was and still is, an avid sailor.

I knew from the start, that for our relationship to work, I would need to take an interest in sailing, as his life revolved around boats. Not only was Garth a sailor, but he was also a Commodore of a sailing club and operated a youth sailing school. Needless to say, he spent weekends on or around the water.  If I wanted to spend any time with him it was going to involve sailing in some shape or form, it was as simple as that.

I still remember clearly the first time Garth invited my children and I to spend a day sailing with him and friends from the yacht club. Luckily none of us were seasick, something I hadn’t thought about beforehand.

The language they used that day to communicate was foreign to me, it caught me off guard several times, to their amusement, I’m sure. Below are a few examples of the terms I had to familiarise myself with:

  sheets - not those found on a bed, ropes they use for hoisting sails.

  painter - not a person wearing overalls with a tin of paint and brush but yet another rope or sheet that attaches the dinghy to the boat.

  tender - not a loving term or form of agreement but an alternative name used for a dinghy.

  head - not a body part, the name given to the toilet/bathroom.

  port and starboard - why sailors cannot say left or right is beyond me.

  Leo - not a name or star sign, but a term used to advise the crew that the boat is about to change direction.

  Galley - kitchen.

  Saloon - not a wild west pub but the living/dining area.

When the time came for Garth and I to purchase our first boat together, I pictured weekends away in secluded bays, watching the sunset whilst sipping a Gin and Tonic; that was not the case.  The Young 88 we purchased was mainly used for racing, first and foremost. I learned very quickly that there is a big difference between cruising and racing, and can honestly say with hand over heart, that I am and always will be a cruiser.

Weight is a key factor when racing, which meant the boat got stripped of anything that wasn’t bolted down. It became a chore to put the basics back on board for weekend excursions before leaving the marina, and even more of a chore taking those same things off once back at the marina when all you want to do is get home.

I now realize how lucky we were to have a marina. Having to go through this exercise if your boat was on a mooring or piles, would be a nightmare.

Apart from a few weekends away on the Young 88, the first sailing holiday we planned was with friends, chartering a boat in the northern Tongan islands of Vava’u for 10 days. Although the couple that joined us were not avid sailors, Matt was keen to learn, therefore he and Garth did most of the work involved in sailing the boat, while myself and Anne sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the scenery. As long as we kept the men fed and watered everybody was happy.

Vava’u was an idyllic place to sail. Crystal clear waters, amazing coral reefs, warm winds, and very few people. It felt like we had a piece of paradise all to ourselves.

A few years later we booked another sailing adventure with 3 other couples, this time chartering a catamaran from Airlie Beach to cruise the Whitsunday Islands in Australia.

We had four burly men on board all willing and able to sail the boat, so once again my role was to become part of the cook and bottle washer crew, rather than learning how to sail. It is very easy to slip into this mode, believe me.

On occasion, when it is just the 2 of us on the water, Garth enjoys the challenge of sailing single-handedly, yet again doing most of the work. Note the pattern evolving? By this stage, I am competent at provisioning a boat and happy performing the role of stewardess, but far from a qualified sailor.

I get the occasional request to tail the sheets, assist in hoisting the main, or put the kettle on for a cup of tea.  To be honest, I was and still am, happy to sit back and read a book or take in the scenery, so needless to say after 20 years, I still do not consider myself a competent sailor.

Garth in particular had always dreamed of an extended sailing holiday in Europe. The opportunity presented itself after selling the boutique lodge we owned and operated for 7 years, which took up a big chunk of our time. It was time to turn that dream into reality.

Although excited about the prospect of this holiday, I was also nervous about my lack of sailing skills. Once again, I would be relying on Garth to get me from point A to point B safely, in countries where we were unsure of the coast guard capability and where English is a second language.

Time to put my big girl pants on, start practicing my knots, and enroll in a VHF course. The least I could do was learn how to make a mayday call should the need arise. Fingers crossed; I’ll never have to put that into practice.

The decision was made to escape for 3 months in total, 2 months sailing in Greece and 1 month in Croatia. June, July, and August are considered high tourist seasons in Europe, so we planned our adventure for April, May, and June to avoid the crowds.  

Time to plan our attack.

The Research Begins

Once we decided on destinations, numerous nights were spent searching the web and collating notes, starting with boat charter companies. We needed boats confirmed before proceeding with planning itineraries.

The first setback we encountered, was being told we could not sail a boat from Greece to Croatia. We had read many stories of people who sailed all over Europe from one country to another.   What we didn’t take into account was these stories were written by people who owned their boats, they were not chartering.

Plan B was put into action, whereby we would charter a boat in Greece then either fly or ferry to Croatia and charter a second boat from a local company.

We had no idea of a budget for the trip at this point, however, our goal was to keep costs to a minimum. The quotes received from the charter companies, compared to what we had paid in the past were exorbitant. The fact that we were not splitting costs with other couples on this particular trip made a huge difference. 

When booking previous charters Garth had to provide the equivalent of a CV listing his sailing experience and 2 personal references. This was not the case in Europe, they required an ICC International Certificate of Competency. Yet another addition to our things to do list, which was growing at a rapid rate.

Should you be planning a sailing holiday and require this certificate, check with your local coast guard as to where you can complete the course. It is not a course offered online; it is an on the water one on one course.

We got the feeling that several charter skippers we encountered during our 3-month holiday, managed to purchase their certificate online, as their sailing skills left a lot to be desired.

While researching, I came across some websites and organisations that provided substantial information about sailing the Mediterranean from people that had done so previously.  This led to us becoming members of The Cruising Association based in the UK. The member forums provided useful information beneficial in the planning of our trip and they offer member discounts throughout Europe.

We also researched boat swaps and house/boat swaps and were offered propositions by various boat owners, unfortunately; none were based in Croatia or Greece. New Zealand is a country that many sailors from around the world are keen to visit, we will keep this in mind for the future.

After many hours of searching, I found a boat advertised on Airbnb, located in Greece.  This was promoted as a hotel room for people wanting to experience staying on a boat, without leaving the marina. No sailing experience is required.

I managed to track down the owner and was able to contact him directly by email. He was excited that we wanted to book his boat for 2 months, not